In the broadcasting and television industry, most video cameras are capable of capturing high definition (HD) video and relaying the signal back to a central editing/broadcast center or booth. At a large sporting event, these cameras are located at various distances from the editing booth. In order to transmit the signal back to the booth, each camera uses a hybrid HD cable composed of optical fibers and electrical wires.
In some instances, it would be advantageous to be able to splice a cable to a connector in the field, e.g., at a sporting event. One type of splicer that can be used for such purposes is the Fitel® S122 Series fusion placer by Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. The fusion splicer requires a fiber holder to hold the fiber straight during the splicing process.
FIG. 1 shows a typical fiber holder 10. Fiber holder 10 has a main body with a groove or channel 12 formed therein, within which the fiber can be positioned for splicing, as an example. The fiber is held in place by a lid 14.
The fiber holder 10 is placed in a splicer that includes an “oven” for performing the splice process. In typical splicers, the splicer does not secure the cable during splicing, only the optical fiber. That is, there is a presumption that the cable will be otherwise stably maintained during the splicing process and during the fiber protection process. In the field, maintaining the cable steady during the splicing process can be quite challenging, and instability can severely impact the final splice and, therefore, performance with the hybrid HD cable.